East Coast Theatre Short Play Festival Auditions
14 June 2026
De Luxe Theatre, Opotiki, New Zealand
A collection of short plays
ABOUT THE SHOW
The East Coast Theatre Short Play Festival brings together eight original short plays. From comedy to drama, mystery to heartfelt human stories, each play offers something completely different, creating an exciting and fast paced theatrical experience for audiences of all tastes.
Featuring a diverse range of writers, characters, and storytelling styles, the festival celebrates creativity, imagination, and the power of live performance. Some plays will make you laugh, some may challenge the way you think, and others may leave you deeply moved, but every piece promises to take audiences on a unique journey.
With fresh local talent, bold ideas, and the relentless passion that defines East Coast Theatre, this festival is a showcase of storytelling at its most vibrant and entertaining.
KEY DATES
Planning: March – May
Info session: 7 June 2026 – 2PM (Download PDF)
Auditions: 14 June 2026 – 2PM
Rehearsals: 21June – 16 August 2026
Intensive week: 17 – 21 August 2026
Performances: 22 August 2026 – 2PM & 7PM
Play Title: Hubble Bubble
Approx run time: 13 mins
Characters: 3 Female
Phoebe – An off-duty witch. Assertive and impatient.
Seline – An off-duty witch. Submissive and kindly.
Harper – A young woman with a phobia – and an interesting vocabulary.
Synopsis:
Phoeba and Seline need to recruit a third witch for ‘that’ play. The only applicant is Harper, a Gen Z-er and the audition doesn’t bode well. Is she even speaking the same language?
Audition Piece:
Download here
Play Title: The Worst Table
Approx run time: 9 mins
Characters: 1 Female / 1 Male / 1 Any
Luna – Female – 21+
Chase – Male – 21+
Server – Male/Female – 18+
Synopsis:
Strangers, Chase and Luna, fight over sitting at a small table with a sign stating “Worst Table in the House. Sit here and get 10% off your meal.” They agree to share the table, but not without getting on each other’s nerves and confusing the Server. They eventually find a common bond and enjoy their meal and drinks together.
Audition Piece:
Download here
Play Title: Laundry Day
Approx run time: 13 mins
Characters: 2 Male
Sam – Male – 20s – The Ocelot, a street-level superhero
Chase – Male – Late 20s to 30s – Astroman, a cosmic-level superhero. Handsome.
Synopsis:
After a devastating defeat, street-level superhero Sam decides to quit being The Ocelot -until his ordinary roommate reveals he is secretly the legendary Astroman. As the two heroes confront failure, fear, and loneliness, they discover the importance of having someone who knows the person behind the mask.
Audition Piece:
Download here
Play Title: A New One
Approx run time: 10 mins
Characters: 4 Any
Number 37 – Age 30-60, committee chair, committee chair, hyper-focused on the agenda
Number 12 – Age 60+, dirty old man or woman
Number 44 – Age 30-60, enthusiastic, loves the committee’s mission
Intern – Age 20-30, curious, almost pesky
Synopsis:
In this comic ten-minute play, a committee charged with approving expressions for public circulation deliberates over “I ripped him a new one.” The play shows the ridiculousness of the phrase and also provides a fantastical answer to the perennial question, “Where do figurative expressions come from?”
Audition Piece:
Download here
Play Title: License To Haunt
Approx run time: 9 mins
Characters: 1 Female / 1 Any
Laura – Female, 30’s to 40’s. A deceased person in the afterlife.
Clerk – Any gender, any age. A clerk in the Department of Haunt Services.
Synopsis:
Recently deceased, Laura is looking forward to visiting her family as an apparition. To do that, she must obtain a haunting permit from the Department of Haunt Services. Unfortunately, she finds that bureaucracy follows us into the afterlife.
Audition Piece:
Download here
Play Title: Happy Anniversary
Approx run time: 8 mins
Characters: 1 Female / 1 Male
Colin – Male, Late 60’s.
Dorothy – Female, Late 60’s.
Synopsis:
On the fiftieth anniversary of their first kiss, an elderly husband brings his wife back to the park bench where their love story began. As dementia clouds her memories, he gently guides her through fragments of their shared past in a tender and heartbreaking celebration of enduring love.
Audition Piece:
Download here
Play Title: Conspiracy Of Love
Approx run time: 8 mins
Characters: 1 Female / 1 Male
Mathias – Male, 30’s to 50’s, A man obsessed
Jan – Female, 30’s to 50’s, His blind date seemingly normal
Synopsis:
A disastrous blind date spirals into absurd chaos when conspiracy-obsessed Mathias can’t stop talking about 9/11 theories, despite Jan’s desperate attempts to steer the evening toward normal conversation. But as the night unfolds, an unexpected twist reveals they may have more in common than either of them imagined.
Audition Piece:
Download here
Play Title: Now Boarding
Approx run time: 8 mins
Characters: 1 Female / 2 Male / 1 Any
Lainey – Female, mid-30’s.
Ryan – Male, mid-30’s.
Raymond – Male – mid-50’s.
Passenger – Any gender – mid-20’s
Synopsis:
While waiting at an airport gate, a chance conversation between a nervous traveller and a recently separated man takes an unexpected turn as she desperately tries to avoid her mysterious “boss.” But when her true identity is finally revealed, he realises he may have just let a movie star walk out of his life.
Audition Piece:
Download here
Each year, we present a mix of productions for all tastes and experience levels. Whether you’re drawn to the stage, the script, or behind the scenes, there’s a place for you here. Follow us on Facebook to stay in the loop!
WELCOME GUIDE
Download our Welcome Guide to learn everything you need to know about getting involved — from auditions and backstage roles to how we bring our shows to life. It’s your first step to becoming part of the East Coast Theatre family!